


Being Cute With the Wheeler Boy

by argylemikewheeler



Series: Tumblr Re-posts [28]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Coming Out, Happy Ending, M/M, More Funny Than Angsty, Short One Shot, Snow Ball (Stranger Things), Supportive Hopper, great parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 07:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18219803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argylemikewheeler/pseuds/argylemikewheeler
Summary: Prompt: Hopper (walking in on Will and Mike kissing) and instead of being homophobic garbage like Ted he’s super supportive and overall a great dad





	Being Cute With the Wheeler Boy

Mike came over to Will’s house for dinner every other week. It was their excuse to see each other more often during the school week, but it was also nice for Mike to get out of the house. With Nancy going to college within the next year, Mike’s dinner table became a tense argumentative battlefield. He liked sitting at the table with Jonathan, Will, and Mrs. Byers. They always had a funny story to tell or something positive to share. That was probably because they had company, but the illusion was nice. Jonathan and Mrs. Byers also didn’t seem to notice Will and Mike holding hands under the table.

A week before the Snow Ball and Mike was coming over for a regular Byers family dinner. He knocked on the front door and was startled as Chief Hopper stood in the doorway, out of uniform and in a half-buttoned flannel shirt with a Henley collared shirt underneath. Mike nervously tugged at the sleeves of his creased button-up dress shirt retired from church to be used for the dinners.

“Hey, kid.” He said, stepping away from the door. “Will’s in his room. Knock.”

“Uh, thanks.” Mike muttered, ducking his head as he walked in. Hopper had never come to a dinner before. Mike didn’t know how to joke around with the Chief. Mike didn’t even know if he was allowed to talk to him– like, was he allowed to  _acknowledge_ him? Or was that weird. Mike had no idea. He couldn’t imagine Will’s life, seeing the Chief over nearly every day. “Will? Can I come in?”

“Yeah! Just getting ready.” Will answered. “You can come in.” Mike pushed Will’s door in and saw him standing in front of his mirror, twisting his collar and trying to get it to lay flat. Mike grinned at him in the mirror, letting the door close over behind him but not entirely– because that would just be  _too_ suspicious.

Mike walked over to Will slowly, his feet swinging out before landing in front of him. He looked at Will’s closet and the clothes hanging from the door. On two hangers hung a dark sweater vest and a yellow dress shirt. On the shoulder of the shirt was a black tie, it was loosely tied for a neck far larger than Will’s. Someone had been helping him plan the outfit.

“Is that your outfit for the dance?” Mike asked, reaching to graze his fingers over the starched shirt.

“Yeah.” Will said, turning to him. “Is it okay?”

“Yeah. I like it.” Mike nodded, turning to meet Will’s nervous expression with a grin. “I’m wearing mostly blue… Yellow matches blue.” He held the sleeve up and squinted to see Will in focus with the shirt. “And it’s a nice color for you.”

“But isn’t El  _wearing_ blue?” Will said, biting his lip.

“Yeah, but that’s because she wants to.” Mike explained, dropping the shirt sleeve to pull on Will’s instead. “She knows you’re my real date. She’s just excited to go to the dance; I’ve been explaining everything all week!”

“Really?”

“She’s at my house right now. Nancy is helping her pick out her makeup.” Mike nodded, tugging on Will’s shirt gently before slipping his hands into Will’s. “Which explains why the  _Chief_ is here…”

“Are you scared of my mom’s boyfriend?” Will laughed, cocking his head.

“He has a gun.”

“Not  _on_ him, Mike. He’s actually really nice.” Will said, swinging their hands back and forth. “He showed me how to tie a tie.” He pointed back to his clothes hanging on the closet door. He mulled his choices over again, lips rolling back against his teeth. “Are you sure I don’t look like a bumble bee or something?”

“ _What_? No.” Mike gasped, laughing. “Will, you’re going to look fine.”

“Are you sure? Yellow isn’t a weird color to wear?” Will began to fret and twist his expression. “I’m going to look like a bumble bee.”

“Then I’ll be sure to bring flowers.” Mike said, squeezing Will’s hand. “Or if anything, I’ll wear one. Then you’ll  _have_ to stick to my side.” Will ducked his head to giggle, his face flushing red. The world around Will blurred and everything turned to white noise, Mike’s own heartbeat pounding in his ears. He stared at Will, his lips moving and saying something to combat Mike’s teasing compliment, but it was lost on Mike. “What?”

“You don’t wear flowers to the Snow Ball. It’s  _winter_.” Will said. He was speaking as if that was why Mike couldn’t do it, not because Will didn’t like it.

“I’d do it for you.” Mike shrugged. It was a simple answer. “I don’t care.”

“Oh.” Will let out a shaky breath, blush still growing and hands fidgeting with Mike’s fingers. He pulled on them, inching his grip higher up on Mike’s hands and slowly pulling Mike closer. He didn’t seem to notice until their noses were nearly touching. “ _Oh_.” He said again, trying to look up at Mike’s eyes. “We wouldn’t be able to do this at the dance.”

“Not likely.” Mike agreed. He wanted to add a chuckle, but the reality was a lot more like the dead silence than the forced laugh. Someone called out to them from the kitchen, but they both remained connected in the lost moment they’d never get to have. “But, that’s okay though… We’ll still have a good time.” Will nodded at Mike and lifted himself onto his toes. He evened their eyesight for only one reason– and Mike closed his eyes to lean in and meet Will halfway.

“Boys! Dinner.” The male voice was shouting directly into Will’s room. Mike’s eyes shot open and Will dropped back down to his flat feet with a heavy thud. Their lips had only brushed, their hands still clasped together. Mike threw them down and pretended to be looking at his sleeves. “What are we doing in here?”

“Nuh-nothing.” Will sputtered, turning away from Mike and facing the mirror again.

“Your mother called you three times. Let’s eat.” Hopper said, slapping the door frame and walking back down the hallway to the kitchen.

“Did he see us?” Mike asked in a hushed voice although he was a sliver away from screaming. “Did he  _see_ us?”

“I don’t know!” Will cried, his voice far louder. “I don’t know!” Will was already close to tears, his hands going up to his hair. He grabbed Mike’s hands and began shaking them as he began to shake himself.

“Boys!” Hopper called again. “Now!”

“Coming!” Will cried, his voice cracking. “ _I don’t want to die_.” He whispered.

“It’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go.” Mike assured Will, taking a slow even breath. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Jonathan usually does all the talking.”

“He’s out tonight… That’s why Hop is here.” Will muttered, his heels skidding across the carpet as Mike pushed him forward.

“Oh, shit.” Mike grumbled, still pushing Will out to the hallway. Once they could be seen, they separated; Will walking ahead of Mike and greeting the table with a overzealous smile. Mike was hoping his smile was more believable.

Without Jonathan for dinner, Hopper’s usual seat at the head of the table was moved to be on the side, next to Joyce and across from Will and Mike. As Mike pulled his chair out, he could feel his appetite pooling in the bottom of his shoes. Mike sat and folded his hands in his lap and made sure his arms could be seen being as far away from Will as possible. He didn’t even try to reach for food at the same time as Will.

“What were you boys up to? I thought you two had gone deaf.” Will’s mother laughed, placing a bowl down in front of the two of them. Neither wanted to move.

“Just… uh… ya know…” Will was drowning. He had no lie prepared and nothing convincing pouring out of his mouth. “Nothing.” Hopper looked at them with lifted eyebrows and an unconvinced smirk. Mike grabbed the bowl to give himself something else to look at.

“You aren’t going to tell your mother?” Hopper said, sounding genuinely surprised. Mike knew better to trust such rhetorical questions; his mom did it when she was going to investigate Nancy about Steve.

“Tell me what?” She asked, looking at the two of them. “What happened?”

“Your son was too busy being cute with the Wheeler boy.” He said, looking at Will’s mother with lifted eyebrows and a knowing look. “Can’t remember the last time  _I_  stopped kissing to get to dinner on time.” Hopper leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

Will’s mother looked at the two of them with a neutral expression, the corner of her lips lifting. “I don’t care  _what_ you’re doing, just come to dinner on time, okay?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Yes, Mrs. Byers.”

“Good.” She smiled and reached over to touch Will’s arm, shaking it softly. Her smile scrunched up her face in a way that made Mike think she wasn’t surprised and giggling, but more so enjoying being right about things she knew all along.

“Now wait a second,” Hopper said. He took a slow sip of water, his stern voice hanging in the air. “I thought you were taking Jane.”

“And I thought you didn’t have a date, Will.” His mom added, nodding at Hopper.

“Yeah.” Mike said. “We can’t go together.”

“Not in this fucking town.”

“ _Hop_.” Mrs. Byers hissed, slapping his arm.

“I’m just saying, they’re being smart.” Hopper continued, placing his fork down and grabbing his napkin. He folded it in his hands carefully, mulling his next sentence over. “What are you wearing?” He pointed a corner of the napkin at Mike.

“I don’t know. I have this gray sweater, a blue shirt that my mom bought–”

“Blue?” Hopper repeated. “Joyce, do you have the box of clothes I brought for Jonathan?”

“It’s in his room where you left it. We haven’t had a chance to go through it and see what fits.” She pointed down the hall and Hopper immediately followed her direction. “Hop? What are you doing?”

“Give me a second.” He swung around the door frame into Jonathan’s room. They could hear the sound of cardboard flaps opening and clothes found their way into the hallway as Hopper muttered and searched. “Got it!” He returned, walking back to his seat and holding a tie out to Mike. “This color blue?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty close.” He nodded. “But I can’t wear a blue tie with a blue shirt.” Hopper moved his hand over to Will.

“He can match you.” He nodded at Will, urging him to take it. “I’ll show you how to tie it again. You have to match your date, kid.”

“T-Thanks.” Will reached and took the tie into his hands, his fingers spreading over the light blue fabric and tracing the pink and yellow single stripe. “It really matches?”

“Yeah, that’s definitely it.” Mike reached over to hold it too. “I even have a little yellow on my sweater I think too. It’s perfect.”

“No one will notice, but you’ll know.” Hopper said, picking his fork back up. “And that’s all that matters.”

Will turned to Mike, grinning and gripping the tie tightly, not caring that he caught one of Mike’s fingers in the process. The tie would bring them together in the mass of students that were unknowingly keeping them apart. Mike would be able to spot Will’s yellow shirt and matching blue across the gym and know that he was wearing it to be  _his_ date. Mike would be able to pull on his sweater and look down at the thin yellow stripes curling around his waist and twisting his stomach as he thought about the daffodil shirt floating through the crowd and trying to encourage Mike to get on the dance floor. They’d be matching dates and no one would know. No one would know and no one would bother them. Mike could dance beside his date, hands brushing in the shuffle and know that they belonged together on that dance floor and in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> [The Rebloggable Post!](https://argylemikewheeler.tumblr.com/post/169119701780/ok-so-i-saw-your-prompt-where-ted-walks-in-on)


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